LIGHTING DESIGN

INTRODUCTION
 Lighting design is an art and a science. As a science, the amounts of illumination
needed and certain aspects of the quality of light have been quantified.
 As an art however, to attach numbers is meaningless because light is an experience
of the SENSES. It is not an INTELLECTUAL experience.
 Lighting in a space is a positive force that can motivate people to be active,
relaxed, productive, lively, depressed, fearful or overactive.
 Lighting should make people important. It should create an atmosphere pleasing to
the occupants whether in an office, store, showroom or home.
 Lighting should provide visibility, character and mood as well as relate
harmoniously to the space in which it is used.
 The complex and temporal nature of lighting is one of the least understood of its
many variables.
 Because of this complexity, lighting design can be one of the most creative areas
of all of architecture.

We will look at the various elements of design with which architects work and design.
 EFFECT ON ARCHITECTURE
 Light is as much a "building material" as steel or concrete.
 Although such structural components are needed to enclose a space, it has no real
existence for an individual until it is seen and it registers in his consciousness.
 Light defines space;
 reveals texture;
 shows form;
 indicates scale;
 separates functions.
 Creates mood;
 Good lighting makes a building look and work the way the architect intended at all
hours of day and night. It contributes to the character, to the desired attitude
toward form and space, and to the effective functioning of that space.
 Lighting is dynamic. Change the lighting and the world around us changes.
 Light can make or break a space both functionally and aesthetically.
 EFFECT OF LIGHTING

INTERIOR OF A MALL RESTAURANT WITH BAR

 PLANES OF BRIGHTNESS
 Where brightness occurs in a space
establishes the character or mood
of that space.
 A ceiling left in shadow creates a
secure, intimate, relaxing
environment suitable for lounges,
leisurely dining and board rooms.
 High brightness on the ceiling
creates a bright and cheerful or
efficient and work-like atmosphere
good in coffee shops, classrooms
and kitchens.
 PLANES OF BRIGHTNESS
 With the ceiling in shadow,
brightness on the vertical
planes of a space draws
attention to the walls,
expanding space visually;
good for galleries,
merchandising, lobbies.

 A pattern of varying levels

of brightness can indicate
direction and lead people
through a space.
 GLITTER AND SPARKLE
 Pinpoints of brightness from small exposed filaments or multiple reflection from
crystal, chrome or other shiny surfaces create a scintillating effect that heightens
awareness. Glitter and sparkle add gaiety, sophistication, elegance and festivity to
a space. Whether used for dining, dancing or merchandising, glitter can become
glare without sufficient background lighting to soften the contrast. There is only a
fine line between stimulating points of brightness and discomfort glare.
 LIGHT AND SHADOW
 An evenly illuminated space is
similar to an overcast day--dull,
monotonous and boring.
 Variations in brightness and the
interplay of light and shadow add
variety to a space; provide visual
relief and a sense of excitement.
 Scallops of light on a wall from
nearby down lights, shadows on
the ceiling of varying sizes and
shapes from an up light under a
plant or a narrow beam of light
highlighting a small sculpture,
create areas of visual interest
that give character and
individuality to a space.
 LIGHT AND SHADOW
 Highlight provided by accent light
creates focal points that can
direct attention or communicate
an idea.
 A lighting scheme should not be
so exciting as to overwhelm or
destroy the interior design, nor
so placid as to make a room dull
and uninteresting.
 MODELLING
 Shadows are essential for
perceiving dimensionality.
 Three dimensional objects lighted
from directly in front appear flat,
but when lighted from the side,
assume depth and roundness.
 The deep shadows created by
strong source from one side only
cause more distortion but
because of the high contrast add
to its dramatic impact.
 Free standing objects, such as
sculpture, lighted from two
directions with different
intensities or tints of color will
appear fully three dimensional.
 LIGHTING DESIGN CONSIDERATION
 The most important factor in a space is the people who will occupy it, use it, live in
it. People are not automatons; therefore, the psychological and emotional effects
of an environment are of equal importance with the physiological. Not only should
good quality light be provided to "see by" but also to "feel by."
 The process the designer uses and the elements that the designer considers while
making and realizing a design should be based on the entire environmental and
psycho-physical system that interacts with the observer to create a lighting
installation. The design process itself should reflect the attitudes and elements of
design that are essential. A good designer always touches base with the entire
scope of the environmental design and never leaves it to chance.
 The factors that should be considered in lighting any space are:
 1. The SITUATION; is it a working, viewing, circulation or living space?
 2. The FUNCTION; what will people do in the space? Type, study, eat, sew, or buy
and sell?
 3. The QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF LIGHT needed to perform tasks.
 4. The ARCHITECTURE and DECOR.
 5. The ATMOSPHERE or psychology of the space.
 6. The RELATIONSHIP to adjacent areas.
 Day Lighting:
 Day lighting is the complete process of designing buildings to
utilize natural light to its fullest. It includes all of the following
activities.
 Sitting the building—that is, orienting it for optimum solar
exposure
 Massing the building—that is, presenting the optimum building
surfaces toward the sun.
 Choosing fenestration to permit the proper amount of light into
the building,
 Taking into account seasons, weather, and daily solar cycles
 Shading the façade and fenestration from unwanted solar
radiation
 Adding appropriate operable shading devices, such as blinds
and curtains, to permit occupant control over daylight
admission
Day Lighting:
Always a better source of light
with good colour rendering
property

Saves electricity

Disadvantages
Along with light, heat is also
to be entertained

Not dependable on cloudy

days

Depends on location, time, and

design of windows.

Generally the day light can

extend to 2.5 times the height
of window.
 KINDS OF LIGHTING
 TASK LIGHTING is illumination from
nearby sources that allows the
performance of visual tasks. It is
localized light to work by.
 Task lighting is one of the most
important elements of commercial
lighting design. Its point is to provide the
necessary illumination for the worker to
perform his/her task.
 ACCENT LIGHTING is directional light
intended to emphasize a particular
object or draw attention to a pan of the
field of view.
 Accent lighting is an important lighting
element for the architect for it allows the
right emphasis of a design element or
detail that can enhance or underscore a
theme or essence of his/her design. It is
also a way to focus attention on
signage/art in an environment.
 KINDS OF LIGHTING
 GENERAL or AMBIENT LIGHTING is
background or fill light in a space that
reduces harsh contrast between pools
of localized tasks or accent or that
supplies a substantially even level of
illumination throughout an area.

 Just as the background paper in a book

plays an important role in our ability to
read the words printed on it, the
ambient light of an architectural space
provides a ground upon which the
architect and lighting designer can
practice his/her art. This is an often
under­developed element of designs and
must be given its appropriate due.
 Key Factors For Good Lighting Design
1. Illuminance: is the brightness of an object, or the strength of the
light reflected from it. The greater the luminance, the stronger the
visual stimulation, and the easier the object is to see.
 The values set out in the standard, however, are minimum

requirements. Most people find a higher level of illuminance more

agreeable and more motivating. In winter especially, when the levels
of daylight entering a room are lower, more light is needed to avoid
fatigue and loss of concentration.
Iluminance requirement is based on many factors:
 Task to be performed (for minute & detailed task more light needed)

 Age of the person

 Daylight factor

 Volume
 Key Factors For Good Lighting Design
2. Brightness distribution:
 When we are in a room, our gaze incessantly switches from near

(desktop) to far (walls). Where there are marked differences in

brightness between these two zones, our eyes face the constant
need to re-adapt and thus get tired more quickly. Visual
performance and sense of wellbeing diminish.
 Where the differences in brightness are not marked enough,

however, the room makes a monotonous impression. It is

recommended here that desktop luminance should not be less than
1/3 of the luminance in the immediate surroundings. For more
remote parts of the room, the difference in luminance should be 1/5,
max. 1/10.
 Bright walls: Good wall and entrance lighting helps people get their

bearings in a room, makes for better contrasts and emphasizes room

zones. It also makes the room look a livelier.
 Key Factors For Good Lighting Design
3. Glare
 Glare is one of the most disturbing side-effects of lighting.

Direct glare caused by marked contrast differences between

very bright and very dark surfaces or due to unshielded lamps
in our line of vision place a strain on our eyes and lead to
fatigue and mistakes through loss of concentration. To avoid
direct glare from lamps, care should be taken to select only
luminaries which are suitable for workplace lighting.
Glare limitation
 Glare is one of the most unpleasant visual problems of all.

Being dazzled by a general-diffuse lamp or the reflection of a

window on a computer screen affects our visual acuity and
impedes our performance. Direct and reflected glare can be
largely avoided by good room and lighting design.
 Key Factors For Good Lighting Design
4. Shadowing
 Where there is light, there is also shadow. To ensure that

shadows do not impede our view when writing, the light should
fall - for a right-handed person - from the left . If the light
comes from the right, we write in the shadow of our own hand.
5. Light and color
 The way we perceive colors under artificial light depends on the

color rendering properties of the lamps. Lamps with good color

rendering properties produce natural colors ,lamps with poor
color rendering properties cause color distortion
6. Direct/indirect lighting
 Luminaries with direct and indirect lighting components permit

free arrangements of desks, reduce the risk of reflected glare

and create a more agreeable lighting atmosphere
 TECHNIQUES - OVERVIEW
 Lighting design techniques are essentially design elements or
solutions that can be utilized in many design contexts. These
elements have to be customized for your specific application.
 The aim is to utilize techniques to get the design concept realized.
Don't substitute technique for substance in your design. If you don't
start with a well worked out design concept all the technical
knowledge in the world will not help you.
 Surfaces- both vertical as well as well horizontal
 Texture rendition lighting ­
 Continuous fluorescent strip systems
 Accent lighting
 Framing projectors
 Designing the workspace
 Task visibility
 LIGHTING IN GENERAL

Accent lighting + ambient lighting

Accent lighting
with floor
highlighted

Uplighters used
to highlight
voluminous
church space.
Accent lights downlight focus Indirect or diffused light

Accent lights uplighters Direct lights used as highlighters these are

LED lights used for display boards Use of monochromatic colour lights such as
high intensity sodium vapour lamps –
generally for roads, security, compound
areas, warehouses etc.
Movable lights on Task lights + accent Lights used for decoration as well
track used to highlight lighting to show direction. A must for
art in galleries security in case of fires or
emergency.

General lighting with

task lighting .
Task L. helps to use
less energy and is
easily controllable.
Use of dimmers
further helps.

Lights as highlighters.
 Light color and temperature
Color temperature:
 By convention, yellow-red colors (like the flames of a fire) are

considered warm, and

 blue-green colors (like light from an overcast sky) are

considered cool.
 Color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) temperature.

 Confusingly, higher Kelvin temperatures (3600–5500 K) are

what we consider cool and

 lower color temperatures (2700–3000 K) are considered warm.

 Cool light is preferred for visual tasks because it produces

higher contrast than warm light.

 Warm light is preferred for living spaces because it is more

flattering to skin tones and clothing. A color temperature of

2700–3600 K is generally recommended for most indoor
 Light color and temperature
 2500 - Bulk industrial and security High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
lighting.
 2700–3000 - Low light levels in most spaces [10 foot candles
(FC)]. General residential lighting. Hotels, fine dining and family
restaurants, theme parks.
 2950–3500 - Display lighting in retail and galleries; feature
lighting.
 3500–4100 - General lighting in offices, schools, stores,
industry, medicine; display lighting; sports lighting.
 4100–5000 - Special-application lighting where color
discrimination is very important; uncommon for general
lighting.
 5000–7500 - Special-application lighting where color
discrimination is critical; uncommon for general lighting
 Colour rendering index
 Colour rendering index - which describes the quality of the
light on a scale of 0 to 100.
 Higher the CRI, better is the quality. All white light sources can
be evaluated by color temperature and CRI.
 Natural light is generally defined as having a CRI of 100
(perfect).
 Color temperature, however, varies a great deal due to
weather, season, air pollution, and viewing angle. For instance,
the combination of sun and blue skylight on a summer day at
noon is about 5500K, but if the sun is shielded, the color of the
blue skylight is over 10,000K. The rising and setting sunlight in
clear weather can be as low as 1800K (very reddish). Cloudy
day skylight is around 6500K.
 CRI for various application
 Minimum Lamp CRI Applications
 50 Noncritical industrial, storage, and security lighting.
 50–70 Industrial and general illumination where color is not
important.
 70–79 Most office, retail, school, medical, and other work and
recreational spaces.
 80–89 Retail, work, and residential spaces where color quality
is important.
 90–100 Retail and work spaces where color rendering is
critical.
 Setting illumination levels
 In recent years, the field of lighting has been struggling with two prominent
forces, energy efficiency and lighting quality

Setting Criterion Illumination Levels

Choose an acceptable illuminance according to categories (standards are given
in NBC or any building standards)
 Adjust the actual design level according to tasks and human factors. It is
strongly encouraged to make informed adjustments to the criterion light
level. For eg for designing a school/study place it depends whether it is for
toddlers, children, college students or even seniors.
 The determination of lighting level is critical. Choose levels too low
and the success of the project may be at stake; choose too high,
and too much money is spent and energy is used needlessly.
 Ultimately, the designer chooses an appropriate static light level that does
address the potential for varying the light level based on user preference,
time of day, weather conditions and other factors. If electric light levels can
be varied, there is a significant potential for energy savings as well as other
beneficial effects. As an advanced guideline, design lighting systems that
are based on a dynamic, rather than static, model of vision and natural
light. With the ability to modulate light levels, appropriate electric light
energy is used at all times, maintaining a minimum necessary light level and
therefore, a minimum necessary lighting energy consumption.
 Unit Of Measurement:
 Lumen
 A measurement of light emitted by a lamp. As reference, a
100-watt incandescent lamp emits about 1750 lumens.
 Foot-candle
 A measurement of the intensity of illumination. A foot candle is
the illumination produced by one lumen distributed over a 1-
square-foot area. For most home and office work, 30–50 foot
candles of illumination are sufficient. For detailed work, 200
foot candles of illumination or more allows more accuracy and
less eyestrain. For simply finding one's way around at night, 5–
20 foot candles may be sufficient.
Electrical formulas
 Energy Consumption (kWh) = Wattage (kW) x Hours of
Operation/Year
 Hours of Operation/Year = Operating Hours/Day x
Operating Days/Week x Operating Weeks/Year
for eg 6hrs per day x 5days x 24 weeks
 Lighting System Efficacy (Lumens per Watt or LPW) =
System Lumen Output ÷ Input Wattage
 Unit Power Density (W/sq.ft.) = Total System Input
Wattage (W) ÷ Total Area (Square Feet)
 Watts (W) = Volts (V) x Current in Amperes (A) x Power
Factor (PF)
 Voltage (V) = Current in Amperes (A) x Impedance (Ohms)
[Ohm's Law]
 Footcandles (fc) = Total Lumens (lm) ÷ Area in Square Feet
 1 Lux (lx) = 1 Footcandle (fc) x 10.76
 Lux = Total Lumens ÷ Area in Square Meters
 The number of lamps is given by the formula:
  
             
  
 where,
 N= number of lamps required.
 E= illuminance level required (lux)
 A= area at working plane height (m2)
 F = average luminous flux from each lamp (lm)
 UF= utilisation factor, an allowance for the light
distribution of the luminaire and the room surfaces.
 MF= maintenance factor, an allowance for reduced
light output because of deterioration and dirt.
 Save energy and money by switching to LED holiday lights. LEDs use
90% less energy than traditional, incandescent light strands — and
last up to ten times longer. In addition, LED holiday lights are durable
and safer to use. They’re shatterproof and shock-resistant and, since
they produce very little heat, are much less of a fire hazard than
traditional holiday lighting. 
 in order to achieve a façade lighting scheme whose design can be
changed at the tap of a computer keyboard, over 20,000 diodes
have been installed on the famous structural ‘Ts’ of Council House.
Using such equipment, makes it possible to light a building using a
fraction of the energy previously required for the same purpose.